


A Decision in a Moment

by myglassesaredirty



Series: It Had to be You [9]
Category: Psych
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Emotional Baggage, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Fourth of July, I am honestly so terrified of what my school is gonna say to me, JUST, Kissing, MY CITY HAS A VERY SMALL POND, Making Out, NO ONE INTERESTING ENOUGH TO SLEEP WITH, No Actual Sex Scenes, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Physical Abuse, Pregnancy, Sleeping Together, Somewhere around there, Teen Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Verbal Abuse, again we love Jesus in this house and I also refuse to write them, biweekly posting schedule, i guess you could say there's a pre-sex scene, it's like 2018 or 2019, just to make sure i have this finished at some point in my life, likely inspired by baby fever, pretty much modern day, there are iphones in this fic and that's all that matters, this is all one character who is rarely mentioned the main characters are good people, uhhhh, when they find out i've been writing this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2019-11-04 17:02:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17902040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myglassesaredirty/pseuds/myglassesaredirty
Summary: One moment. That's it, that's all it takes. One decision in one moment can alter the course of your life forever.Or:Maddy sleeps with Henry Spencer during the summer before her junior year. Shit happens.





	1. Rockets Red Glare

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RobinsonsWereHere](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinsonsWereHere/gifts).



> I can't recall how the heck I got this idea, but it seriously has not left me alone since I got it, and I have needed to write this for weeks. I'm still going to write it. I may have to tell the IT department at my school that the muse is not exactly ideal in all situations and I am not, in fact, pregnant, but that's small potatoes right now. Life is great, things are great.

He passes her his phone. “Put on my 70s playlist.”

 

Maddy rolls her eyes and unlocks his phone. “You do realize that half of the songs on your 70s playlist are not actually from the 70s?” She presses the music app and scrolls through his playlists. “Really, the only 70s songs you have here are from the Eagles.” She gestures to the radio. “And you don’t even have an aux cord!”

 

Henry takes one hand off the steering wheel and lifts his index finger. “But not for lack of trying.”

 

Maddy shakes her head fondly, grabs the red solo cup Henry keeps in his beat-up old truck at all times, turns the volume on his phone up all the way, and drops his phone into the cup. “I have ‘Boys of Summer’ playing first, unless you’d rather start with something else.”

 

Henry shakes his head and grins.

 

Maddy crosses her arms and leans into the seat of Henry’s truck. “So, where are you taking me on this fine Independence night? I thought the whole point of the 4th of July was to watch a baseball game, soon to be followed by fireworks.”

 

Henry lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “I didn’t feel like baseball tonight. Besides, you’re still going to get your fireworks. Just trust me on this.”

 

Maddy laughs. “In a parking garage? Are you sure?”

 

Henry nods triumphantly. “Yep,” he says, popping the  _ p. _ “You’re going to love it.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

Henry keeps driving up the parking garage, and once he pulls out onto the roof, Maddy thinks she might have an idea of where this is going. Sure enough, Henry pulls to the middle of the rooftop, puts the truck in park, and jumps out of the cab. “Come on, Maddy! This’ll be so much fun!”

 

Maddy grins and jumps out after him. He pops the lid down to get in the bed and hops up. He turns to her with a bright grin on his face and holds out his hand. “Do I ever disappoint you?”

 

Maddy shakes her head, grabs his hand, and lets him carefully lift her into the bed. “Not thus far, you haven’t.” She stands in the truck bed and shivers when the cool night breeze blows past her. Up in the sky, stars twinkle down at them. “Do you know any of the constellations, Henry?” she asks, pulling her jacket tight around her body.

 

Henry looks up from where he kneels, folding out the blankets for them to lie on. “I know a bit about stars. Why?”

 

Maddy shrugs. “I don’t know. It’s just that…when I’m under the stars, and I can see them this clearly, I feel really small, and it’s so amazing.”

 

Henry moves to a sitting position and nods in agreement. “I know. It’s like, yeah, those things are millions or billions or trillions of miles away, and a lot of those stars are dead, but you just stare into the night sky, and they blink back at you.” He reaches for Maddy’s hand and squeezes it. “Are you not going to sit down?”

 

Maddy smiles at him and sits next to him, her shoulder brushing against his. “I was just waiting for you to get the blankets ready.” She rests her head on his shoulder and draws her knees up to her chest. “Tell me about the constellations.”

 

Henry purses his lips and nods slowly, his eyes surveying the stars to see which constellations are the easiest to pick out. He licks his lips and points to three bright stars in a straight line. “Do you see those stars right there?”

 

Maddy nods and shifts just enough so that she can loop her arm through Henry’s. “Isn’t that Orion’s belt?”

 

Henry nods. “Yep.” He moves his finger a little bit higher, pointing to another star, and traces a figure with his index finger. “That’s his head, those two stars are his shoulders, and,” he finishes his tracing, “those are his legs and feet.” He lowers his arm, reaches for Maddy’s hand, and laces his fingers through hers. “The legend of Orion is that he was this really talented hunter. He could go after anything, could kill pretty much anything. He was every hunter’s dream. Well, one day, he bragged that he could rid the earth of all wild animals, but Gaea, the goddess of the earth, wasn’t too pleased about that, so she sent this massive scorpion after him.” He smiles softly to himself when he feels Maddy shudder at the mention of a giant scorpion. “Orion tried to fight the scorpion, but he couldn’t beat it because the arrow wouldn’t pierce through the scorpion’s armor. In an attempt to escape the scorpion, Orion flung himself into the sea – you know, as one does when running from scorpions – but Apollo witnessed this. He didn’t see who had flung himself into the sea, but he presumed it was an evil villain, so he dared his sister, Artemis, to kill it. She shot and killed Orion quite easily with her bow and arrow, and then she swam out to see what she had just killed, but she found out that it wasn’t a villain; it was her friend. She tried to beg the other gods to bring him back to life, but they all refused, so she – as the goddess of the moon and stars – put his picture up in the sky so she could always see him.”

 

Maddy smiles softly and strokes Henry’s hand with her thumb. “I thought you hated Greek mythology.”

 

Henry shakes his head. “Nope. Surprisingly, that’s Jack. Jack’s more interested in Mayan and Egyptian mythology, and nowhere near as interested in Greek and Roman mythology. Says something about how it’s overrated.” He lifts the shoulder Maddy’s not resting on in a half shrug. “Me personally, I love it.”

 

Maddy lifts her head. “You, Henry Spencer, are an enigma, and I love you for that.” She presses her lips to his in a lazy kiss. They stay like that for a while, kissing under the stars, mouths barely moving against each other’s, when Henry pulls away.

 

“Wait!” he says, turning onto his knees and crawling to the sliding window in the back windshield of his truck. “I brought cider.” He hangs his head when he realizes his mistake, but Maddy just throws her head back in laughter.

 

“You’re going to have to get out of the bed to get the cider.”

 

Henry half-heartedly sticks his tongue out at her and scrambles out of the bed. “I know, I know. Do you want to drink straight from the bottle or from cups?”

 

Maddy points a finger at Henry’s back, which is the only part of him that’s partially visible, considering that half his body is inside the cab, trying to retrieve the cider. “Sharing drinks is how you get mono.”

 

“And so is making out, but we still do that all the time.”

 

Maddy purses her lips. “Touché. I’ll give you that.” She leans back on her hands and trains her eyes up to the constellation of Orion and tries again to trace the figure. “How sanitary are your cups?”

 

“Depends on your standards.”

 

Maddy rolls her eyes. “Let’s just share the bottle.”

 

Henry emerges from the truck with the bottle of cider and his cell phone in hand. “That we shall do.” He stands on his tiptoes and passes her the bottle, and then he runs around to scramble back into the bed.

 

Maddy studies the bottle of cider. “Uh, Henry,” she says, holding up the bottle so that he can see. “How are we supposed to open it?”

 

Henry tucks his phone into one corner of the bed, reaches into his back pocket, and pulls out a big-ass pocket knife. When he sees her face, he shrugs matter-of-factly. “What? My uncle gave it to me. It comes in handy.” He pulls out a cork opener, reaches for the bottle, and pulls the cork out of the bottle.

 

Maddy takes the bottle from him. “I think I need a drink.” She presses her lips to the mouth of the bottle, tilts her head back, and takes a swig of cider. She pulls it away and wipes her mouth. “Are you sure this is non-alcoholic?”

 

Henry takes the bottle from her and checks the label. “Yep, I’m sure. See here? It says so.” He follows Maddy’s lead and takes a swig from the bottle, but he loathes the feeling of carbonated bubbles chasing each other down his throat. He passes the bottle of cider back to her. “When’s your curfew? We might not have time for fireworks.”

 

Maddy takes another drink of cider. “My dad knows that fireworks depend on how long the baseball game goes, and since baseball can take a long-ass time, he said that as long as I’m back before 1:30, I’m good.”

 

Henry smirks and gestures for the bottle. “You know that’s illegal, right?”

 

Maddy furrows her brow and sits up straighter. “What’s illegal? Drinking cider?”

 

Henry chuckles to himself and presses the back of his hand to his mouth while he swallows past the bubbles of death. “No, that’s perfectly legal, but what is illegal is two minors being out past midnight.”

 

Maddy whistles lowly and knocks her shoulder into his. “But isn’t it exciting,” she whispers, her blue eyes sparkling in the starlight, “to break the rules? Just once?” She tilts her head so that her breath blows on his earlobe, and she doesn’t miss the way he gulps and closes his eyes. “We can do whatever we want until one o’clock.”

 

Henry quirks an eyebrow and turns his head so that his nose brushes against Maddy’s. “Without any adult supervision,” he reminds her hoarsely. He tilts his head to capture her lips in his. “I say we play Go Fish.”

 

Maddy lightly smacks his shoulder and cups his cheek with one hand. “Go Fish is a children’s game. Blackjack is where it’s at.”

 

Henry hums and kisses her again. “Blackjack sucks. I’d go for gin rummy.”

 

“I could whoop your ass in gin. Give me something hard. Like poker.” She sighs when he kisses her again, practically melting into his mouth.

 

“Is it a game of strip poker?” he whispers, shifting as she moves her body downwards. She lies on the blanket below him, still cupping his face in both of her hands, and he positions himself so that he’s hovering over her.

 

Maddy hums. “If you want,” she says passively, moving her right hand from his cheek to run it through his hair. “But this is pretty nice, too.”

 

Henry nods in agreement. “Yeah, this– this is pretty nice.” He kisses her once. “I’m having a great time.” He kisses her twice. “Could get more exciting, though.”

 

Maddy raises an eyebrow. “Do you  _ want _ to go there?” She traces her finger over Henry’s jawline and searches his eyes. His eyes, though always a deep, clear blue, are clearer than she’s ever seen them.

 

“Only if you want to,” he whispers, kissing her forehead. “I’m not going to ask you to do something you don’t want to do.”

 

Maddy smiles and captures his lips in hers. “I do, Henry. As long as it’s with you, I always will want to go there.”

 

Henry nods and clears his throat. “I thought…”

 

She props herself up on her elbows. “What, that I was saving myself for marriage?” She leans all her weight on her left elbow and cups his cheek in her right hand. “I’ve already found the man I’m going to marry. Can it really be that different out of wedlock?”

 

Henry shrugs. “I wouldn’t be any the wiser.”

 

Maddy smiles sadly at him. “Do you want to do it?”

 

Henry grins devilishly and lowers his head to press his lips to Maddy’s neck. “Oh, trust me,” he says, gently running his tongue over her collarbone, “nothing would give me greater pleasure.”

 

As the fireworks go off at 11:39 on the night of the 4th of July, the two teenagers get lost in each other, under a display of exploding lights.


	2. Freaking Out (Is Panicking Normal? I Feel Like it Isn't)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maddy realizes that sex means that pregnancy is very plausible. Especially when one considers that she and Henry had unprotected sex and she hasn't taken her birth control medication for about a week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Funny story: I was writing this part a day or two before I had my own OBGYN appointment, and then I started psyching myself out, like "holy crap, am I pregnant?" even though I've never done so much as kissed a guy. I almost asked the OBGYN a lot of questions for this fic, but I figured that'd be awfully suspicious, so. In short. This was a very awkward chapter for me to write.

“Mom?” Maddy calls, frantically tearing apart her bathroom. Her heart hammers in her throat, but she tries not to let her concern show, lest her little sister peek into the bathroom.

 

Maddy’s mom pokes her head in the jack-and-jill bathroom from Noah’s side. “What is it, honey?”

 

Maddy forces herself to take a deep breath. “Where are my birth control pills? I’m supposed to take them everyday.”

 

Mrs. Baker sighs and steps into the room. “Dr. Hodgkins is filling out a different prescription since you were complaining about the last one. I figured it would be better to wait to start the other one than to stop in the middle of this month.” She brushes Maddy’s hair away from her eyes. “Why are you so concerned about it?”

 

Maddy lifts her right shoulder in half a shrug. “I thought I had just lost my pills, but now that you say that, I have to agree with you.” For lack of something better to do with her hands, Maddy splits her hair into three parts and starts braiding. “Do- do we know when that prescription will be filled?”

 

Her mother sighs again. “I have no clue. The pharmacy is closed today, so it certainly won’t be in until tomorrow at the very earliest.”

 

Maddy’s stomach flips, and she hopes that her mother won’t be able to see right through her. “Why’s the pharmacy closed? What happens if someone needs to refill, like, a heart medication or an epileptic medication or something?”

 

Maddy’s mother shrugs. “That’s a good question, sweetheart. I guess since they didn’t take the Fourth of July off, they figured that July 5th would work just as well. I don’t know, I just know that all the pharmacies are closed today.”

 

Maddy sighs. “I still think that’s stupid. It’s like closing a hospital. Some people need to be on medication, and they might run out on the very day that the pharmacy is closed.” Maddy looks at her mother as she continues fishtail braiding her hair. “You know Emma? She has really bad epilepsy. What if she needed to refill her prescription today?”

 

Her mother rolls her eyes. “I’m sure her parents would have contacted her doctor and told them that the pharmacy would be closed the next day, and then her neurologist would have filled out a prescription in time for her parents to go pick it up.”

 

Maddy shrugs. “I’m just saying that it’s stupid to close a pharmacy.”

 

Her mom points to her room. “Go read a book or watch a movie or  _ something.” _ Her mother turns away, and then she turns back to Maddy and leans against the door frame in the bathroom. “Why don’t you invite Henry over? I’m sure you and him would find something fun to do other than gripe about politics.”

 

Maddy smiles and shakes her head.  _ Oh, you have no idea, Mother. _ “I would, but he has a baseball game later today. I’m going to go watch him play if you or Dad can give me a ride, but I’m not going to distract him from his game just yet.”

 

Her mom just shakes her head. “Is he going to play baseball in college? From the few games I’ve watched, he seems like he’s good enough to.”

 

Maddy purses her lips and hums. “He doesn’t know yet. He might just enter the workforce straight out of high school – his dad’s a cop, and his dad wants him to be a cop, and honestly, it fits him – but he has been seriously considering college so he can look at other options.” She shrugs. “I don’t know. We have another year or so to figure it out.”

 

Her mother turns back and leaves Maddy’s bathroom. “Oh, also, Maddy: you have a doctor’s appointment with Dr. Hodgkins next week.”

 

Maddy breathes out shakily. “Thanks for the reminder, Mom!” She looks at herself in the mirror, and a scared young teenage girl stares back at her.  _ You can’t really get pregnant after having sex once…right? _

 

**

 

“Maddy, stop jiggling your leg.”

 

Maddy looks up from trying to memorize the tile patterns on the floor and keeps jiggling her leg. “Who’s jiggling? I’m not jiggling.”

 

Her mom puts her hand on Maddy’s knee and waits until Maddy stills her leg. “Why are you nervous? You know Dr. Hodgkins. You’ve been here before.”

 

Maddy huffs out a breath of hot air and turns to the side table next to her. She picks up the first magazine she sees (it just so happens to be a maternity magazine, but she flips it open and pretends to read through it). “I don’t know. I just haven’t slept well recently.” That much was true, but it was more from her trying to keep herself from reaching for her phone and texting Henry that she might be pregnant and then staying awake into the late hours of the night, debating whether or not she would actually want this baby. If she was pregnant with one, that is.

 

Mrs. Baker sighs and moves her hand from Maddy’s knee and starts combing Maddy’s hair with her fingers. “Are you coming down with something?”

 

Maddy shakes her head emphatically. “It’s the summer. There’s nothing I could be coming down with. I’ll be fine. I’m just jittery.”

 

A nurse steps out into the waiting room. “Madeleine Spencer?”

 

Maddy presses her lips together, tosses the magazine back onto the table, and stands up quickly, waiting for her mother to follow her. She practically jogs up to the nurse, and the nurse points to a chair at one end of the hallway. “We’re going to have to do blood pressure first.”

 

Maddy wants to crawl back into her bed. There’s no way her blood pressure can be good, not when she’s this stressed, and she just really wants to ask the nurse or Dr. Hodgkins if her mother absolutely  _ has _ to be in the room with her, but all of that is a big red flag, so she just takes her seat in the chair, breathes in slowly, holds her breath for seven seconds, and exhales for eight while the nurse starts preparing everything.

 

Mrs. Baker leans against the wall and studies her daughter. She’s never been one to be super jittery or nervous like this. But when Maddy’s shoulders relax and she smiles at the nurse, Mrs. Baker is sure that everything’s going to be okay.

 

The nurse looks at the reading as soon as the blood pressure gauge offers it. “One hundred eleven over seventy-three.” She smiles at Maddy and gestures for her to follow her for her weight reading. “Not bad.” After she marks down Maddy’s weight, she points to one of the rooms down the hall. “You two will be in room 4.”

 

Maddy’s mom thanks the nurse. As she walks down the hall, Maddy feels like she can’t breathe, like the only thing she can do is put one foot in front of the other and hope for the best. She sits up on the crinkly paper and avoids looking into her mom’s eyes, and she swings her legs back and forth while she waits on Dr. Hodgkins.

 

After a few minutes of awkward silence, someone knocks on the door, and Dr. Hodgkins peeks her head in and smiles. “Hey, Maddy,” she says, winking at her, “long time, no see.”

 

Maddy shrugs. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to be back until November.”

 

“That was the plan,” Dr. Hodgkins agrees, heading over to the sink. She turns on the faucet and starts scrubbing her hands. “But your mom called the office and said that you were not yourself under the medication I had you on earlier, so I figured it’d be best to have you come back.” She dries off her hands, pulls out her chair, and rests her clipboard on her knees. “Now, you know the drill, Maddy: I’m going to have to ask you some awkward questions. First, do you smoke?”

 

Maddy wrinkles her nose. “Of course not. Smoking is gross.” Her hands tighten around the edge of the chair she’s sitting in, and the paper crinkles under her hands. Dr. Hodgkins looks up and narrows her eyes at Maddy, but Maddy’s mom continues reading through her magazine.

 

“Any alcoholic consumption?”

 

Maddy furrows her brow and tilts her head to the right. “Does apple cider count?”

 

Maddy’s mom looks up. “When did you last have cider?”

 

Maddy looks over at her mom. “When Henry and I went on a date on the Fourth of July. He brought apple cider so that we could feel like adults. He said it was non-alcoholic, but I didn’t read the label.”

 

Dr. Hodgkins smiles and waves a hand. “Most cider is non-alcoholic, and I doubt your boyfriend would have managed to get his hands on the alcoholic kind. But anything else?”

 

Maddy shakes her head. “Nope.”

 

Dr. Hodgkins marks it down on her chart. “Are you sexually active?”

 

Maddy gulps, shakes her head almost imperceptibly, and barely hesitates when she answers, “No.” Even to her own ears, it sounds like her voice rose several octaves. She steals a quick glance at her mother, who seems fully engrossed in her magazine.

 

Dr. Hodgkins furrows her brow and leans forward. “You’re not sexually active?”

 

Maddy doesn’t trust her voice, so she just shakes her head back and forth.

 

Dr. Hodgkins is unconvinced, but she moves past the sexual activity question, knowing that Maddy isn’t going to be honest with her as long as her mother is in the room. “When was your last cycle?”

 

Maddy purses her lips. “I want to say May 20th or something like that.”

 

Dr. Hodgkins nods and then looks up. “That was your last cycle?”

 

Maddy lifts one shoulder in a shrug, and then moves her left hand to massage at her right shoulder. “My period might just be late this month. Can’t it be really irregular on birth control pills?”

 

Dr. Hodgkins nods, but her brow is creased. “It can, but not usually on such a low dosage.” She tilts her head. “Madeleine, is there something –”

 

A shrill sound pierces through the air, and Mrs. Baker swears, drops her magazine, and pulls out her purse, frantically searching for her phone. She pulls it out, glances at the caller ID, and looks at Dr. Hodgkins. “I’m so sorry,” she whispers, “but this is my boss. I can go take this outside.”

 

Dr. Hodgkins smiles tightly at Mrs. Baker. “Please do, Mrs. Baker. Take your time.” She waits until the wooden door swings closed, and then she lazers Maddy with a glare. “Maddy, what aren’t you telling me?”

 

Maddy breathes out shakily. “I- I did have sex with my boyfriend on the Fourth of July. It was both of our first times.” She rubs her left hand. “But you can’t get pregnant after the first try, right? Aren’t the odds of that happening, like, super low?”

 

Dr. Hodgkins sighs heavily and rubs her forehead. “Did you two use a condom?”

 

Maddy winces when she recalls the night she and Henry slept together. “No. He didn’t have one on him.”

 

“And when was the last time you took your birth control?”

 

Maddy looks down and kicks her feet. “July 1st,” she murmurs.

 

Dr. Hodgkins taps her pen against her clipboard. “Then the possibility is there. You said you missed your period, right? I want to have you tested for pregnancy while you’re here.”

 

Maddy’s eyes widen and she shakes her head frantically. “No! No, I can’t do that. My mom will notice, and she’ll ask me  _ why _ I’m peeing on some stick, and I can’t deal with that. If I’m pregnant, then I’ll find out eventually.”

 

Dr. Hodgkins leans forward. “It’s best to find out sooner rather than later. You can make any decisions surrounding the baby later –”

 

Maddy shakes her head again. “Even if I am pregnant at fifteen, I’m not having an abortion. I won’t do that to myself or to the baby. I don’t agree with it.”

 

Dr. Hodgkins nods. “And that’s perfectly okay. I still think you should get tested today because I don’t feel comfortable putting you on birth control pills if there’s a possibility that you might be pregnant, especially since you just said you want to have the baby if you are.”

 

Maddy runs a shaking hand through her hair. “And what will you tell my mom?”

 

Dr. Hodgkins shrugs. “I’ll say that, based on what you told me, it would be best to stay off the pills for a while. I don’t have to lie, and I don’t give away something you told me in confidence.” She sets her clipboard on the counter and scoots closer. “Please, Maddy. I’m not asking you as just your doctor, but as an old family friend: please take a pregnancy test.”

 

Maddy takes a trembling breath. “How long does it take to get the results?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why, but I fully enjoy writing this fic. It makes for an awkward search history, but that's small potatoes.


	3. A Plastic Stick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She takes another pregnancy test, just to be sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I missed last week's update! I will still stick with the otherwise biweekly posting schedule, so this won't be updated again next week, but rather the week after!

Dr. Hodgkins said the first pregnancy test could just be a false positive, so she warned Maddy against telling Henry until she was sure. The first person, aside from Dr. Hodgkins, who has any clue that Maddy might be pregnant is Karen Jones. Maddy called up Karen a couple weeks after her doctor’s appointment and asked if they could hang out.

 

Since Karen can drive, she drove them to Baskin Robbins, and, knowing that Maddy needed to get something off her chest, she went through the drive thru and paid for both of their ice creams.

 

Now, they sit in the parking lot with Maddy stabbing her spoon into the mint chocolate chip ice cream while Karen stares out the windshield in shock.

 

“Are –” Karen clears her throat and shakes her head once. “Are you sure you’re pregnant?”

 

Maddy shakes her head and takes a massive bite from her ice cream. “There’s still a chance I might not be, since I took the test so quickly after we slept together.” She sighs and hangs her head. “Why did I do it, Karen? I love Henry, don’t get me wrong, and I don’t regret that I slept with  _ him, _ it’s just that…”

 

Karen nods. “You just regret that you slept with  _ somebody. _ I mean, you two are still dating, and you’re more in love than many married couples, and I know you wouldn’t sleep with just any guy, and you wouldn’t even sleep with Henry unless you two clearly loved each other. But you broke your promise to yourself, and that’s the thing you regret.”

 

Maddy nods, sets her ice cream on the dashboard, and leans forward, burying her face in her hands. “Who’s to even say he wants the baby? Who’s to say he wants to be a dad?”

 

Karen looks over at Maddy sharply. “And who’s to say you’re a mom yet? Like Dr. Hodgkins said, the test could just be a false positive. It’s not the end of the world yet.” She sticks her key in the ignition and starts up the car. “Come on, we’re going to Walgreens and then to my place. You can take the test there. I’ll run in and get the tests.”

 

Maddy groans and grabs her ice cream before it can fall off the dash. “Whatever you say, Karen. Whatever you say.”

 

**

 

Two little pink lines stare at her, and Maddy glances at the other two sticks lying on Karen’s bathroom counter. All of them say the same thing. All of them condemn her to be another damn statistic.

 

She’s going to be a mother in about nine months.

 

Honestly, all she feels right now is numb. She told her parents, reassured them, in fact, that she wouldn’t sleep with Henry Spencer, even if he was the man she knew she was going to marry. She still wears that damn purity ring on her left finger, and she twists it around as she stares at the three pregnancy tests.

 

She hangs her head and presses her right hand to her stomach. She doesn’t know anything about this baby, except that it’s half her and half Henry, and she’s going to keep it. No matter what happens, no matter if Henry dumps her or her parents kick her out, she’s going to keep this baby.

 

Maddy trudges to the bathroom door and knocks on the wood. “I’ve got my results, Karen.”

 

The mattress in Karen’s room squeaks, and when she speaks, her voice is right outside the door. “And?”

 

Maddy shrugs, shakes her head, and laughs. “I’m pregnant. I’m fifteen years old, and I’m going to have a baby.”

 

Karen whistles lowly. “When are you going to tell Henry?”

 

Maddy looks over at the three tests still sitting innocently on the bathroom counter and sighs. “He has his last baseball game tomorrow. I’m going to watch it. I’ll tell him after.”

 

“And what about your parents?”

 

Maddy licks her lips and blinks back tears. “Whenever I’m sure they won’t look at me like I’m a disappointment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are always appreciated!


	4. Telling Henry (Please Don't Be Mad, Please Don't Be Mad)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sooner or later, she has to tell Henry that she's pregnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short update today! (I really need to set a reminder to add to the Google Doc for this fic because I get sO distracted with 800 other Maddy/Henry fics that I can't possibly keep anything straight it's fine I'm fine)

Henry Spencer has always been good at playing baseball. Truly. He has the arm for it, and he’s quick on his feet, almost graceful. His eyes catch exactly where the ball is going to go and how far it’s going to go as soon as it leaves the bat. He memorizes the pitcher’s ticks for each fastball, curveball, or whatever-ball during the lead-up to the games. He has the highest hitting record on the high school team and on his club team. Henry Spencer is good at baseball, and everyone knows it, including the two recruiters that are currently talking to him.

 

Karen nudges Maddy with her shoulder. “Just go talk to him. He needs to hear this.”

 

Maddy shakes her head. “He wants to play baseball in college, and I just– maybe later. I can always do this later.” She turns to run, but Karen stops her, turns her back around, and gently shoves her forward.

 

“Go.” She plants her feet and crosses her arms, and Maddy has to laugh because she looks like a cop out of uniform. Which is fitting, since both Karen and Henry want to be cops.

 

Maddy carefully walks up to Henry, hoping that the recruiters will shake his hand and wave goodbye before she makes it to Henry’s side, but the walk isn’t all that long, and both men seem intent to get Henry to join their team. As she gets closer, she notices that the one wearing the blue shirt works for a major league team (quite impressive that they’re trying to get Henry this early), and the man wearing the white shirt works for UCLA. When she gets close to Henry, she doesn’t tap his shoulder or hug him; she just makes sure that he can see her in his periphery.

 

His face lights up when he sees her. “Mad!” he practically shouts. He reaches up to take his baseball cap off, wipes his forehead, and replaces his baseball cap before he hugs her. He turns to the recruiters. “Uh, Mr. Harbour and Mr. Eriks, this is my girlfriend, Madeleine Baker.”

 

Maddy waves at the two men and moves closer to Henry. Right now, his embrace is safe, and she knows that even after she breaks the news to him, his embrace will still be safe. She stands up on her tiptoes and whispers in his ear, “I really need to talk to you about something really important.”

 

Henry furrows his brow and nods, but he turns back to the recruiters with a broad smile. “Thank you both so much for coming out to talk to me!” He reaches for the major league man’s hand. “Mr. Eriks, I really appreciate the offer, but I think I’m going to go to college or the police academy after high school.” He then turns to Mr. Harbour. “And Mr. Harbour, I will keep considering UCLA when I do my college applications.” He waves at both of them and walks away. “Thank you again!”

 

Maddy has to cover her laugh when she looks behind her and sees the two baffled men, looking at each other, trying to figure out why in the hell Henry just blew them off.

 

Henry leads her to one of the most secluded areas of the stadium and takes off his cap again. His blond hair is all mussed up from his haphazard cap replacement and the way he runs his hands through his hair when he’s nervous. “You said there was something important you needed to talk to me about.” His blue eyes search hers. “Is everything okay?”

 

For the first time in her entire pregnancy, Maddy feels a lump in her throat at the concern in Henry’s voice. “I just –” she sighs and squeezes his hands. She doesn’t know how to say this. She doesn’t have any clue where to start. “You know how I’ve always wanted to be a psychologist?”

 

Henry furrows his brow and nods slowly. “That was one of the first things I knew about you, Mad. Everyone knows that.” He cocks his head. “Is this the important news?”

 

Maddy shakes her head and steps closer to him. “Not exactly. It’s just that…those plans are going to have to be put on hold for a while.”

 

Henry bends his knees so that he’s at her eye level, and he searches her eyes again, reaching up with one hand to cup her cheek. “Maddy, are you sure you’re okay? You’ve always wanted to be a psychologist, and you’re –”

 

Maddy blinks furiously. “I’m pregnant,” she blurts, stepping away from him to take in his reaction.

 

He takes a half step backward, and his eyes grow wide, but Maddy thinks – she can’t possibly be sure – but she  _ thinks _ that his eyes are a little misty. “You’re pregnant?” he whispers. He covers his mouth with his left hand and pulls it away almost immediately. He smiles at her – sure, his smile is watery, but it’s bright, and she can’t remember seeing him so happy. “We’re going to be parents?”

 

Maddy wants to be mad at him. After all, he did get her into this mess (yes, she consented to it and all of that, but it was  _ his _ sperm that got her pregnant in the first place). But when she sees how happy is, and how he looks at her stomach like it holds everything good in the world, she can’t help but smile. “We’re going to be parents, Henry.”

 

Henry looks back into her eyes, and then he gathers her in his arms, spins her around, and gently sets her back on the ground. Maddy laughs, and he pulls away, peppering her face with kisses while intermittently apologizing to the baby. He sniffs, wipes his eyes, and licks his lips. “We are- we  _ are _ keeping it, aren’t we?”

 

Maddy smiles, gently smacks his shoulder, and pulls him back into the tightest hug of her life. “I’m not killing our baby, Henry, and I’m not giving it to anyone else. I’d rather give up any chance of having a career as a psychologist than give up our baby.”

 

Henry nods. “Somehow, I think you’re terrified.”

 

Maddy nods, sniffles, and moves one hand to wipe at her eyes. “Of  _ course _ I’m terrified, Henry! All the odds are stacked against me! The baby is going to be born in the middle of the school year, teen moms are ostracized in high school and they have a difficult time finishing school, I’m  _ fifteen, _ you’re barely sixteen, and –” her voice fails when a sob catches in her throat. “I know we’ve talked about marriage, but what if we don’t get married? What if, for some reason, we break up, and I have to share custody with you?”

 

Henry sighs and pulls away from the embrace. He smiles softly when he sees the tears still rolling down Maddy’s cheeks, and he reaches up and wipes them away with his thumb. “I’m no psychic,” he says quietly, “but I firmly doubt that we’re going to break up. And that’s not me speaking as a cocky teenage boy, but as someone who is head over heels in love with you. I’ll let you go if you want to leave, but I want to be with you.” He leans forward and kisses her forehead. “Secondly, the odds  _ may _ be stacked against you, but you’ve never been one to back down from a challenge. I can help take care of the baby. Sure, I can’t breastfeed or anything, but I can learn how to change a diaper and sing the baby to sleep and whatnot.”

 

She squeezes his hand. “But what about the fact that I’m going to be ostracized? You can’t control that, and you can’t be of much help with that.”

 

Henry purses his lips. “No,” he agrees, “but you won’t ever be completely alone. You have me, and I’m sure you’ll have Karen. If you have no one else in the world, you’ll have us, and I’ll do everything I can to help you and our baby.”

 

Maddy searches his eyes, cups the back of his head, and pulls him in for a kiss. “I love you so goddamn much,” she whispers with her eyes closed.

 

Henry kisses her again, gently this time. “I love you so goddamn much, too.” He presses his lips to her forehead. “Have you told your parents yet?”

 

Maddy shakes her head. “I wanted to tell you first. I mean, Karen knows, but only because I needed someone to drive me to get another pregnancy test. And my OBGYN knows. But that’s it.”

 

Henry nods slowly. “I think it’s best if we tell our parents separately. I mean, if you want me there when you tell your parents, then I’ll be there, but…” he shakes his head, and his earlier joy is replaced by a dark cloud covering his mind. “My parents won’t react positively to it. I don’t want you to be there for that.”

 

Maddy sniffles and puts her hands on Henry’s neck. “I’ll tell my parents tomorrow.” She stands up on her tiptoes and kisses Henry’s cheek. “You don’t need to be there, but if you want to be, you can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are always appreciated!


	5. Courage is Being Scared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry decides to be there when Maddy tells her parents. It goes as well as one would expect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it has been a hot minute. And I haven't abandoned this fic! It's just that I made the mistake of posting before it was completely finished, and as a result, the muse is quite fleeting. I'll try and sit down and write something later on, but here's something to tide you all over!

Henry decides to be there when Maddy tells her parents. He figures that it shows maturity and ownership of his own mistake that really caused this mess in the first place (he’s mad at himself for breaking the same promise he made to himself as Maddy did to herself; he loves his girlfriend and he’d do anything to protect her, but he looks back and wishes he’d just driven her around, singing songs off-key).

 

He also decides not to tell his own parents until Maddy has told hers. He knows his parents are going to react negatively – not how most parents would in this situation, with some form of disappointment and possible shouting matches, but with flying fists and words that cut deep.

 

As he knocks on the Bakers’ front door, waiting for it to swing open, he resolves that he’s not going to be like his parents. He’s not going to drink. He’s not going to scream at his son or daughter for being a disappointment. He’s not going to push his kid to do something they don’t want to do. He will not, under any circumstances, be his parents.

 

The front door swings open, and Mrs. Baker smiles at him. “Hey, Henry.” She steps aside so that he can come in. “Maddy told us you were coming today.” She hugs him and then ushers him to the kitchen. “Please tell us you’re staying for family game night.”

 

Henry gulps and smiles nervously at Mrs. Baker. “I’ll, uh…I’ll stay if you want me to, ma’am.”

 

Mrs. Baker waves a hand in dismissal. “Nonsense! We’ll always want you here at family game night. Come on, I’ve got sodas in the fridge.”

 

Henry’s heart hammers in his throat when he accepts the can of Dr. Pepper that Mrs. Baker passes him. He quickly glances at the kitchen table, where Maddy plays Go Fish with her younger sister, and she looks as nervous as he feels. Regardless, he pulls up a chair, pops open the can, and takes a sip. “Who’s winning?”

 

Jenny looks up with glee. “Me! Maddy’s terrible at this game!”

 

Henry smiles softly. “Is that so?” He puts one arm on the table and leans forward. “Or is that what she just wants you to think?”

 

Maddy glares at him. “Henry,” she says warningly.

 

Henry lifts his can of Dr. Pepper and takes a long sip from it, maintaining eye contact with her until he sets it down. She shakes her head and laughs, but when she’s sure that none of her family members are looking at her, she mouths, “Thank you” to him.

 

Henry shakes his head almost imperceptibly and looks over his shoulder. The Baker kitchen leads out to the living room, and Mr. Baker watches the Texas Rangers play against the Baltimore Orioles. The Rangers are down by three.

 

Maddy nudges him with her foot and nods to the television. “Go. Have your man bonding over baseball.” She smiles softly at him. “Noah’s not too big a fan of sports, and Dad’s fine with that, but he has no one to talk to about baseball except for me, but I have Jenny duty.”

 

Henry looks between the baseball game and Maddy. He could lose it all tonight, as soon as dinner is ready (he thinks he remembers that Friday nights are reserved for pizza and games). He sighs, squeezes Maddy’s wrist, and starts walking to the living room.

 

Mr. Baker looks up as soon as he hears Henry’s footsteps, and he gestures to one of the seats on the couch with the remote. “You think the Rangers got a chance?”

 

Henry shakes his head and sits down slowly. “Nah. The Rangers aren’t that good. They can play, but they’re just barely better than the Indians.”

 

Mr. Baker sips from his soda can. “Orioles aren’t playing that great tonight, though.”

 

Henry squints at the screen and watches the Baltimore pitcher. He points to the windup. “He blew out his shoulder, but they don’t have a relief pitcher for him yet since it’s so early in the game and the other pitchers have to rest up. Either he lets them walk, or he throws easy pitches that a little kid could hit.”

 

Mr. Baker frowns and nods. “How come you never played pitcher, Henry? You’ve got the arm for it.”

 

Henry laughs. “My junior high club coach thought the same thing, but – like this guy – I would always walk the batters or I’d throw easy pitches. Finally, he got fed up with me and the shortstop and switched us. Turns out shortstop was really fun because it was really challenging, and I asked my coach to let me keep practicing that position.”

 

Mr. Baker looks away from the game and smiles. “And now you’re being scouted by professional and college baseball teams, even though you haven’t even started your junior year.”

 

Henry smirks and takes another drink of soda. He had just started to calm down, and then Maddy’s dad had to bring up the fact that he hadn’t even started junior year yet.  _ Maddy’s not even sixteen yet. She’ll be sixteen by the time she has the baby, but we’re so young. We can’t even vote. She can’t even drive. _

 

The game cuts to commercial, and the doorbell rings. Feet coming racing down the stairs, and Noah jumps the last few steps, skids to a halt in front of the door, and nearly opens it by the time his parents can catch up to him.

 

Henry shakes his head and heads back to the kitchen. Jenny, at her sister’s pushing, trudges off to the guest bathroom to wash her hands while Maddy puts up the cards. Henry glances over his shoulder, just to be sure that no one’s coming yet, and then leans forward, carefully gathering some scattered cards. “When are we telling them?” he hisses.

 

Maddy shoots him a look and sits up straighter. No one comes down the hall. She hears Noah and Jenny get in a fight. “After dinner,” she whispers. “I’ll try and get Jenny and Noah to set up some board games or get in their pajamas or something. I’d really rather it just be us and my parents.” Before she can say more, however, her father enters the room with the pizzas over his head.

 

“Come and be served, my spawn!” He pops open the lid of one of the pizza boxes. “And Henry.” He grins at Henry. “I know you’re not my spawn, but you’re enough like family that you might as well be.”

 

Maddy buries her head in her hands and groans while Henry chuckles and goes to examine the pizzas. He’s been here several times for family night, and he’s practically memorized their pizza order, but something is new. He points to one half of the pizza pie sitting in the middle of the kitchen island. “Who ordered pineapple pizza?” Henry holds up his index finger. “Better question: who in their right mind thinks pineapple pizza is legal?”

 

Maddy knocks her shoulder into his and passes him paper plates. “I did.” When Henry looks at her strangely, she shrugs. “I just wanted to try it once.” She reaches across him and lifts a slice of pineapple pizza and a slice of pepperoni pizza onto her plate.

 

Henry rolls his eyes and grabs a slice of cheese, pepperoni, and green chile.

 

Most of dinner passes relatively comfortably, with the Baker parents asking him what classes he’s taking in junior year, what he plans to do after high school (he’s actually crossed joining the force after high school from his list – he doesn’t want his kid worrying everyday whether or not their father is coming home), if he’s seen any good movies lately, etc. etc. Maddy and her mother help clean up after Jenny, who’s barely seven years old and has no concept of eating without getting the entire room messy.

 

Mr. Baker tips his chair back, balancing it on its back two legs, and focuses his eyes on Henry. “When’s your curfew, Henry? We don’t want to keep you too long.”

 

Henry’s eyes snap to the clock on the oven, which just says  **7:32** in turquoise lettering. “I, uh…” he massages the back of his neck. “I don’t really have a curfew.”

 

Mr. Baker furrows his brow and lets his chair fall forward. “How come?”

 

Henry shrugs and smiles tightly. “My parents aren’t my biggest fans. My dad’s always gone for work, taking the night shift at the job so he doesn’t have to talk to my mom, and he’s the only one who cares if I make it back home before the legal curfew is imposed upon minors. My mom couldn’t care less. As long as I’m not bugging her, she’s fine.” He shrugs again. “I always make it home before midnight, unless I stay with a friend for the night. Usually, I just text my dad and tell him that’s where I’m at.” He clears his throat and reaches for his soda. “Except for the Fourth of July. We had no idea when the fireworks were going to end, and then the roads were dead, so…” Henry clears his throat again and drinks from his can of Dr. Pepper. “Maddy and I drove around listening to Don Henley.”

 

It’s not entirely a lie, and Maddy knows it as well as he does, but Mr. Baker narrows his eyes at Henry, though he doesn’t push any further.

 

Mrs. Baker smiles at the family. “Come on, let’s clean up. Jenny, Noah, why don’t you guys go change and then get the games set up?”

 

Noah, who is thirteen, gestures for Jenny to follow him and takes his plate and hers to the trash can. Maddy plays with the edge of her plate, and, when she looks up, her eyes meet Henry’s across the table.

 

Maddy clears her throat. “Can- can I talk to you guys about something important?”

 

Mr. and Mrs. Baker both furrow their brows and look to each other. Mrs. Baker reaches out and smooths back Maddy’s hair. “Is everything okay?”

 

Maddy’s chest rises and falls quickly, and she shakes her head. “It’s- just let me tell you, okay?”

 

Jenny squeals in delight and rushes back to the table. She presses her hands on the wood and jumps up and down. “I wanna hear! I wanna hear!”

 

Maddy looks up sharply and levels her sister with her death glare. “Absolutely not. Just do what Mom told you.”

 

Mr. Baker looks at Maddy. “Why can’t she just listen in?”

 

Maddy grits her teeth, and her fingers tighten around the edge of her plate. She tears it. “Because this is something really important, and I would rather that I tell you guys  _ first _ without any prying ears.”

 

Mr. Baker sighs. “You’re not kicking Henry out.”

 

Maddy gestures emphatically at Henry. “Because he already knows! And he’s here for moral support! Please, just make Jenny go upstairs and change.”

 

Noah grabs his little sister’s elbow and tries to pull her back upstairs, but she stays rooted. “No!” Jenny shouts in Henry’s ear. “I want to be here!”

 

“Just let her stay for this, Maddy,” her mother says softly.

 

“No! Get her out!”

 

Jenny hops up and down again. “Is this because you’re pregnant?” she crows.

 

The kitchen goes dead silent.

 

Maddy looks sharply to her little sister. “How did you know that?” she says, pointing an accusatory finger at her sister’s chest.

 

Mr. Baker blinks and shakes his head once, as if he couldn’t have possibly heard correctly. “You mean she’s  _ right?” _

 

Maddy stands up and leans over the table. “Jenny, how did you know that?” She shouts it more than asks it, and Jenny tries to run away, but Noah steps in front of her.

 

Jenny turns back to her family with a wobbling lip. “I found a stick in your backpack. It said that two lines meant pregnant and one line meant not pregnant, and there were two lines on the stick.”

 

Maddy sinks back into her chair, looks down, and presses her hand to her forehead. “I feel sick,” she murmurs.

 

Mrs. Baker looks between Jenny, Maddy, Henry, and her husband before she carefully folds her napkin, gently presses her hands to the table, and calmly says, “Noah, please take your little sister upstairs and get changed. We’ll be up as soon as we’re finished with this discussion.”

 

Noah nods his head frantically and yanks Jenny in the direction of the stairs. “Yes, ma’am.”

 

As soon as they’re out of earshot, Mrs. Baker turns to Maddy. “Honey?” She says it sweetly, but it’s too sweet, so forced that it’s like a mix of gummy bears, Starburst, Skittles, and honey. “Would you like to tell us something?”

 

Maddy presses her lips together, but a sob tears from her throat. “I’m pregnant.” She wipes her eyes. “It- it was on the Fourth of July, when we went to go see the fireworks. There was just- there was no one around, and it was really romantic, and- and –” she shakes her head and buries her face in her hands.

 

Mr. Baker looks to Henry. “You got my daughter pregnant?” Though his voice isn’t loud, it shakes with anger, and Henry wants to run away from him.

 

As it is, he merely gulps and nods heavily. “Yes, sir. I- I slept with your daughter.”

 

Mr. Baker’s hands curl into fists. “How dare you,” he says lowly. “How  _ dare _ you take advantage of her and –”

 

Maddy leans forward and covers her father’s hand with her own. “Dad, no, it wasn’t like that. I wanted to do it.” She sighs heavily and licks her lips. “I was the one who initiated it in the first place. It’s not…entirely his fault.”

 

Henry offers her a weak smile.

 

Mrs. Baker shakes her head. “Madeleine, is  _ this _ why Dr. Hodgkins said you weren’t on any medication?”

 

Maddy hangs her head and rubs her nose. “Yes, ma’am.” She licks her lips and locks eyes with her mother. “I’m not getting rid of it, Mom! Henry and I may not have  _ planned _ for this to happen, but it’s too late now, and I will  _ not, _ under any circumstances except medically necessary, abort this baby! Kick me out of the house, disown me, I don’t give a  _ shit, _ but this baby is  _ mine, _ dammit, and I’m keeping it!”

 

Mrs. Baker’s jaw drops, and she looks to her husband. “We- we weren’t telling you to get rid of it, sweetheart.” She reaches for her daughter’s hand and squeezes it. “But the odds are stacked against you. Your father and I can help you out as best we can, but you’re going to be fighting an uphill battle.”

 

Maddy nods her head and wipes away her tears. “Believe me, Mom, I know.”

 

Mr. Baker turns back to Henry. “And you’re not bolting? You’re fine with her decision to keep the baby?”

 

Henry nods shyly. “I fully agree. And if you guys, or if she, doesn’t want me in her life anymore, then I respect that, but this is my baby, too, and I want to be a part of his or her life. I want that kid to have parents that I never did. I know the statistics. I looked them up after Maddy told me. But I’m not looking to be – and I don’t think Maddy is, either – to be any damn statistic. I love your daughter, and I know it’s not some bs love that every high schooler thinks, because the feeling I got when she first told me that we were going to be parents was awfully reminiscent of how I’ve always felt about her.”

 

Mr. Baker sighs. “I know Maddy loves you, too, so I’m not going to make sure you stay away. I would ask, though, that you two not sleep together again until you’re married.” He reaches out and squeezes Henry’s shoulder. “The fact that you’re still here and you’re not planning on running speaks volumes. Not enough for me to entirely forgive you for sleeping with my daughter, but…” he shrugs.

 

Henry smiles tightly. “I guess I’m un-invited for family game night, right?”

 

Mrs. Baker shakes her head. “Of course not. If anything, you’ve signed onto it for a long time.”

 

Mr. Baker holds up a finger. “Wait, Henry, you mentioned during dinner you’d decided you weren’t going to join the police force. What changed all that?”

 

Henry nods to Maddy. “She did. And not entirely her, but I don’t want my kid having to worry every single day if their father’s going to come back home.” He looks between Maddy’s parents. “Look, I don’t know a whole lot about raising a kid, but I want to be there for my own.”

 

Mrs. Baker sighs. “Maddy, what did we do wrong?”

 

Maddy shakes her head and breathes in shakily. “It wasn’t your fault, Mom. It was just a decision in a moment, and, sure, this happened, but it wasn’t something you did wrong. I  _ was _ going to save myself for marriage, but…I don’t know, I’d just heard so many girls talking about it at school, and I knew it was special, and I wanted that, Mom. I wouldn’t have done it with just anyone. I wouldn’t even have done it with any guy I dated. It was only ever going to be Henry.”

  
It’s Mr. Baker’s turn to sigh. “We’re disappointed in your choice that led to this, Maddy, but we’re not disappointed in you.” He looks at Henry. “And we’re not disappointed in  _ you, _ either, Henry. You’re a good man, despite your parents, and that, my son, speaks volumes as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, reviews are appreciated! :)


	6. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Henry tells his mom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should have updated this yesterday, but alas, I was out and about all day and was not within reach of my computer. Warning for abuse in this chapter: physical, verbal, and emotional. If it is at all triggering, please, don't read

The sun has long since fallen when someone knocks frantically on the Bakers’ front door.

 

Maddy looks up from her spot on the couch and slowly lowers the  _ What to Expect When You’re Expecting _ book her mother loaned her. Her mother stops her knitting for the moment and glances at her husband.

 

“Who could that be?” Mrs. Baker asks.

 

Mr. Baker shakes his head and stands up slowly. “I don’t know, but I’ll check.”

 

As her father walks to the front door, Maddy remembers with a start that Henry was supposed to tell his parents today. She doesn’t know how it went – there are no messages, texts, or calls from him – but she knows, deep in the pit of her stomach, that it’s Henry at that door. She jumps up and follows her father.

 

The door swings open, and Henry leans against the frame, one hand wrapped tightly around his ribs. His blond hair is messed up, his right eye is turning a marvelous shade of purple, and his free hand shakes.

 

Henry’s eyes flick up to Mr. Baker’s. “I know I’m one of the last people on Earth that you want to see,” he gasps out past his pain, “but I have nowhere else to go.”

 

Mr. Baker nods hurriedly and steps aside to let Henry in. “Come in, come in.” He gapes at Henry’s black eye. “Is everything okay?”

 

Maddy wraps Henry’s free arm around her shoulders and carefully helps him to the living room. “Mom, can you get the first aid kit?” She looks over at Henry’s face and winces when he leans a little too much of his weight on her. “What happened?”

 

Henry laughs humorlessly and winces when it hurts his ribs. Maddy gently lowers him onto the couch and kneels in front of him. “I told my mom,” he says bitterly. “That’s what happened.” He shakes his head. “For someone who’s done a shit job of parenting since she discovered cigarettes, she thinks she has all the say in the world over my life decisions.”

 

Mr. Baker jogs into the living room, waving an ice pack. “Here,” he tells Henry, passing him the ice pack, “put this on your eye.”

 

Henry nods and places the ice pack on his eye. He winces when the cold meets the bruise that’s forming, but he keeps it on there. “My parents kicked me out.” His voice is devoid of all emotion, and he says this like it is: a fact. He’s not angry, nor is he sad.

 

Mrs. Baker opens the first aid package. “Well, Henry, we’ve got room here. If you need a place to stay, we’re willing to offer it.”

 

Mr. Baker puts his hand under Henry’s chin and tilts Henry’s chin up. “Who did this to you? Was it your father?”

 

Henry shakes his head and winces. “No, my dad doesn’t hate me. He’s not the one who really kicked me out; it was my mom. He doesn’t get in the way of any of her decisions, ‘cause that means talking to her and he’d rather his son gets hurt than talk to her.” He leans back against the couch. “My mom can really pack a punch. She also got a belt and delivered it to my back. There were a lot of screaming words.”

 

Mrs. Baker shakes her head sadly. “What’s going on with your side, Henry? You keep holding it.”

 

Henry shakes his head and unconsciously tugs the hem of his shirt down. “Nothing, ma’am.”

 

Maddy sighs. “Henry, take off your shirt.”

 

For the first time since he showed up at her doorstep, Henry smirks. “Well, Maddy, I would absolutely love to, but you see,  _ last _ time I did that –”

 

Maddy rolls her eyes. “You’re deflecting. Whatever’s underneath that shirt you don’t want us to see.” She narrows her eyes at him. “And why are you wearing red? You have a total of three red shirts. Jack owns the rest.” She reaches for his ice pack, takes it away from his eye, and then tugs off his shirt. “Are you bleeding?”

 

Henry opens his mouth to protest, but his shirt is already up and over his head before a sound comes out. Streaks of red riddle his left side, and yellowish bruises splotch the skin in between each streak of red.

 

Maddy covers her mouth with one hand and tries to bite back a sob. Tears fill her eyes, and she looks at her father.

 

Mr. Baker’s face clouds over, and he reaches for his phone. “I’m calling the police.”

 

Henry looks up sharply. “No!” he shouts, and then he winces again. “No,” he says, quieter this time. “It’s not that big a deal.”

 

Mr. Baker splutters. “Not-  _ not that big a deal? _ Are you kidding me, Henry? This is abuse!”

 

Henry nods. “I know that, sir. But the thing is, my mom treats Jack well. It’s fine, I can get a job and put money into savings. She’ll be fine as long as I’m not in the house. My dad wasn’t there when it happened, and he’s never known about it. Please, don’t tell him. I’m out of there now.”

 

Mr. Baker sighs and lowers himself onto the ottoman in front of Henry. “Henry, she committed a crime. She hurt a child under her care. Just let me call someone.”

 

Henry’s jaw sets, and he shakes his head. “No.” His voice is firm. “If she’s there, then Jack stays here, in Santa Barbara. But if you call child services on her – even though she’s never done anything to my little brother – then he’s shipped off out of state to some foster home. Just trust me. Don’t call.”

 

Mr. Baker sighs again and runs a hand through his hair tiredly. “Well, what about the whole guardianship issue? You’re going to have to fill out stuff once school starts.”

 

Henry lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “I can perfectly forge both of my parents’ signatures. If I need a check for any reason, I’m still on okay terms with my dad. I can just make a trip up to the station and have him sign it.” He licks his lips and looks at Maddy. “How are you doing, Mad?”

 

Maddy rolls her eyes and squeezes his hand. “Just a little stressed. Are you sure you’re going to be alright?”

 

Henry nods. “As long as I’m not in that house anymore, I’ll be alright. Trust me. I’m with you now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, reviews and kudos are always appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> Like it, love it, hate it? Leave a comment below or go to my tumblr, @ my-glasses-are-dirty, and tell me what you think!


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